Seam-pressing machine.



J. F. STAPLES.

SEAM PRESSING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED ocnza. 1916.

1 ,234,950. Patented July 31, 1917.

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J. F. STAPLES. SMM PRESSING MACHINE. -AIFLICATION man ocT.2a. I916- Patented July 31 2 SHEETS-SWEET 2.

= Invenror. John F STaples byfiaw WKM Ali UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. STAPLES, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO BOSTON MACHINE WORKS COMPANY, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS. A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SEAM-PRESSING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July :n, 19 l. 1

Application filed October 28, 1916. Serial No. 128,324.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN F. STAPLES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn. county of Essex, State of Massachusetts. have invented an Improvement in Seam-Pressing Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to a machine for pressing seams and especially to machines for this purpose which are provided with means for opening the seam to be pressed and also with a vertically-vibratable pressing element constructed to give the seam a plurality of hammer-like blows as the work is fed forward thereby to set the open seam.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine of this type with a heated seam-setting elementwhich acts on the seam as it is pressed by the pressingelement and operates to give a permanent set to the raw edges of the seam which are turned over and folded by the pressing element. In operating on some kinds of material a permanent set cannot be given to the material merely by the action of the vibratable presser element, but

if the action of this element is augmented by that of a heated seam-setting or ironing element, then the folded edges of the pressed seam will be given a permanent set.

In order to give an understanding of my invention. 1 have illustrated in the drawing aselected embodiment thereof which will now be described, after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 i a side view of a machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2, Fig.1;

. Fig. 3 is an end view of said machine;

Figs. -l and 5 are fragmentary detail views showing the operation of the seam-pressing element;

Fig. 6 shows the seam before it is pressed;

Fig. 7 shows the seam after it is pressed;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line S--S, Fig. 1.

1 indicates the frame of the machine which sustains a work-supporting roll 2 over which the work is fed and also sustains a driving shaft 3 from which the operative parts of the machine are driven. r indicates the seam-pressing element. it being mounted in a carrier 5 which is connected at its upper end to and is operated by an eccentric (3 on the driving shaft 3. This carrier is provided with the slot 7 in which is received a guiding block 8 that is pivotally mounted on the frame. As a result of this construction. the pressing element 1 has not only a vertical reciprocating movement toward and from the work-supporting roll 2, but has also a lateral swinging movement in the di rection of the feed. The machine is intended to act on and press a seam such as shown in Fig. 6 by which the edges of two pieces 9 and 10 are secured together, this being accomplished by first opening out and separating the edges 11 and 12 and then pressing said edges down against the fabric into the position shown in Fig. 7. This separating of the two edges 11 and 12 is accomplished by a wedge-shaped seam-opening member 13 which is forced between the edges 11 and 12 as the work is fed forward and not only separates said edges, but folds them over onto the body of the material. This opening member has associated therewith two guides 14: (one situated on each side thereof) which assist in this operation. Only one of these guides can be seen in Fig. 3 as the other guide is directly-back thereof. 15 is a guiding fin associated with the work-supporting roll 2 and which follows along the crease 16 as the work is drawn over the feed roll, said guiding fin operating to hold the work in proper position as it is fed. The parts thus far described are or may be as usual in seam-pressing machines of this nature and form no part of my present invention.v It will be sufficient to say that as the seam to be pressed is drawn acrossthe roll the plow-shaped scam-opening element 13 acts on the edges 11 and 12 progressively to separate them and fold them over against the body of the fabric. and as the folded edges leave the element. 13 they are acted upon by the vcrtically-inovable sean'i-pressing element -1 which is intended to give the edges a permanentset and thus complete the pressing of the seam. This element 4' not only moves vertically to accomplish the seam-pressing operation, but when it is in contact with the work, it moves forwardly thereby feeding the work.

\Vhile a machine such as above describcd does satisfactory work when operating on some materials, yet when operating on canvas, duck or other relatively-stiff material,

the hammer-like action of the pressing element 4 does not give. the-edges 11 and 12 a permanent set, and as a result said edges will gradually separate from the body of the fabric and tend to assume their original position shown in Fig. 6. By my present invention, I have provided a heated seamsetting element whichis constructed to operate with an ironing action on the edges 11 and 12 of the seam after they have been pressed by the pressing element 4. This ironing action of the heated seamsetting element gives the folded edges 11 and 12 a permanent set even though the material is comparatively stiff and unyielding. This seam-setting elementis shown at 17 and it is forked at its end so that it can straddle the pressing element 4. Means are provided for heating the seamsetting element 17 and also for giving it a vertical and horizontal movement, the horizontal movement occurring when the seampressing element is in its depressed position in contact with the work and when the seampressing element 4 is being raised, and consequently when the work is at rest. As a result, the horizontal movement of the seampressing element produces an ironing effect on the work which serves to set the fold in the edges 11 and 12.

\Vhile any suitable means for heating the seam-pressing element 17 may be employed and said element may be mounted in any convenient manner toproduce the above results, the construction that I have herein shown has proved to be a practical one. In

' the construction shown the seam-setting element 17 is heated electrically, said element being 'formed on the lower end of a casing 18 adapted to receive an electrical heating unit 19 which is connected by wires 20 'to the a source of current supply. This casing 18 is shown as secured to but insulated from a bracket 21 which in turn is adjustably carried by the lower end of an actuatinglever 22, the latter being provided with the vertical portion 23 provided with the slot 24 in which is received a guiding block 25 that is pivotedto the frame at 26. The upper end of the lever 22 is formed with an eccentric strap 27 which embraces an eccentric 28 on the driving shaft 3. VVith'this construction, the rotation of the shaft 3 will operate through the eccentric to give the lower end of-the portion 23 of the lever 22 both a vertical movement and a horizontal movement in the direction in which the work is fed. The horizontal movement in the direction of feed occurs while the seam-setting element is in its depressed position in contact with the work and at the time when the work is not being fed by the seam-pressing and feeding element 4. Consequently, the horizontal movement of the seam-setting element 17 will give a sort of ironing action which is effective in setting the seam. The cycle of operations is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 4 shows the seam-pressing element 4 depressed into contact with the seam and the ironing or seam-setting element 17 raised. While the seam-pressing element 4 is thus depressed into contact with the work it is moved laterally or horizontally into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4, thus giving the worka feeding movement, and

during thistime the seam-setting element 17 is moved horizontally in an opposite direction, as shown by dotted lines Fig. 4. The

' seam-pressing element 4 is then raised into tionary and the seam-setting element, thus has an ironing action which is effective in giving a permanent set to the folded edges 11 and 12-. With my improvement it is possible to press the seam of almost any material in such a way that the folded edges of the seam will have a permanent set.

I have shown at 30 a pulling spring, one end of which is connected to the frame and the other end of which is connected to the bracket 21, this 'spring being for the purpose of assisting in giving the seam-setting element its raising movement.

I claim:

1. In a seam-pressing machine, the combination with a work support, of a seampressing element, means to give said element a seam-pressing movement toward and from the work support and a horizontal feeding movement, and a heated seam-settinv element to act on the pressed seam thereby to give the latter a permanent set.

2. In a seam-pressing machine, the combination with a work support, of a seam-press ing element, means to give said element a seam-pressing movement toward and from the work support and a horizontal feeding 3. In a seam-pressing machine, the combi nation with a work support, of a seampressing element, means to give said element a seam-pressing movement toward and from the work support and a horizontal feeding movement, a heated seam-setting element, and means to cause said seam-setting element to act on the pressed seam with an ironing movement.

4; In a seam-pressing machine, the combination with a work-support, of a seampressing element, means to give said element a seam-pressing movement toward and from the work support and a horizontal feeding movement, a heated seam-setting element arranged to act on the folded edges of the seam, and means to cause said seam-setting element to act on said folded edges with an ironing movement.

5. In a seam-pressing machine, the combination with a Work support, of a seampressing element, means to. give said element a seam-pressing movement toward and from the work support and also a feeding movement intermittently, a heated seam-setting element, and means to cause the latter to have a rubbing or ironing action on the pressed seam etween the feeding movements of thewvork.

6. In a seam-pressing machine, the combination with a work-support, of a seam pressing element, means to actuate said element thereby to pressthe seam, and a heated seam-setting element to act on the pressed seam thereby to give the latter a permanent set.

7. In a seam-pressing machine, the com-' bination with a work-support, of a seampressing element, means to actuate said element thereby to press the seam, a heated seam-setting element, and means to cause said seam-setting element to act on the pressed seam with an ironing movement.

8. In a seam-pressingmachine, the combination with a Work-support, of a seampressing element, means to actuate said element thereby to press a seam, a heated seaniv setting element arranged to actuate the folded edges of the pressed seam, and means to cause said seam-setting element to act on said folded edges with an ironing movement.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my.

name to this specification.

JOHN F. STAPLES. 

